“The question is: What is going to happen once everyone finds out?” Nikki says. “I don’t think that Jenna was thinking about [the letter] when she released her blog. She was just trying to prove to Jake that she didn’t cheat on him. So there’s going to be a lot of drama on this week’s episode, but it’s one of my favorite episodes of the entire season.”

Nikki says her biggest challenge this season, as an actress, has been handling Lacey’s intense dramatic shifts:

“One minutes she’s landing a joke, then the next line, she’s falling apart in tears,” Nikki explains. “I’ve had to ground the drama, but at the same time, land the comedy.”

(I think we can all agree she’s done an excellent job with both!)

Read on for the rest of my interview with Nikki:

I know the fans, myself included, want a Kevin-Lacey reunion. Can you give me any hope?

The one thing I can tell you is that Lacey will never stop fighting for Kevin. The ball is in his court right now, so he has to decide if he wants to fight for his family and marriage, or move on with his life. As Nikki and as Lacey, I think it would be a very unpopular decision for him not to come back. [Laughs]

I loved when Jenna realized that Kevin was Lacey’s Jake … or was he her Matty? I get confused.

Yeah, it was the other way around. And I think the audience was kind of shocked by that too. If you were to compare Kevin to either Jake or Matty, you’d think Jake. He seems very stable, very consistent, always there. But what I love about this season is that we learned a lot about Kevin; he hasn’t always been there for Lacey. He has up-and-left her on several occasions.

Just when we thought we had him figured out!

That’s the brilliance of Lauren Iungerich. She doesn’t write superficially. If you look at all the characters, you can’t put any of them in one specific box, but you can still relate to them. … I can’t even tell you what it means, as an actor, to be on a show with a showrunner who turns out such a good product with every single script. She also has Erin Ehrlich, and a brilliant team of writers, as well.

OK, now let’s talk about someone else we all love: Ally! Will we see her again this season?

Ally’s not back this season, unfortunately. She’s played by the amazing Barett Swatek, who’s so so so great. There’s no one out there who could play Ally the way she does, and she’s become one of my dearest friends throughout this whole process. So I’ve gotten a gift on screen as an actor, and I’ve gotten a gift personally in my life, being able to befriend someone as amazing as her. I hope we see her again next season. (Editor’s note: I second that!)

Speaking of next season, how would you like to see Lacey grow as a character?

I’d like to see her come into her own as a mother … and as a person. She doesn’t really have a life, and that’s why she’s so focused on how she looks and what’s going on in Jenna’s life. Also, if she and Kevin get back together, I wonder if they’d try to have another baby. They’re both really young parents! I think that would be fun, and I also think it would be fun to meet Nana, Lacey’s mother.

Ah, yes. I remember you telling The Insider about your dream actresses to play her.

Yes, and after that, one of the other journalists tweeted “I can’t believe no one’s thinking about Barbara Hershey.” As soon as she said it, I was like, “Oh my God! Barbara Hershey would be amazing!” She looks like she could play my mother, and if we could get her, I think she would be incredible. … Let’s start a campaign!

A campaign? I’m on it. … Now my last question for you: Team Matty, or Team Jake?

I recently came out of the closet in regards to my team. I’d tried to keep it fair and give PC answers, but I’m team Matty. After seeing the episode after the wedding, where Matty and Jenna were on the bed, my 15-year-old heart just exploded into glitter everywhere. I got tears in my eyes, and it was such a powerful moment.

OK, Awkward fans, let’s hear what you have to say: Who should play Lacey’s mom? Are you dying for Kevin to take her back? And, as always, which team are YOU on? Drop me a comment with your every thought!